Nancy Wilson recently released an album of children's lullabies, 'Baby Guitars,' but the Heart guitarist assures Spinner that she's also been playing with her old bandmates, too. "Big noisy rock is in progress right now," Wilson confirms cheerily. "We've been touring quite a lot over the year. Then, in between those tours, we've been in the studio working on the new album."

The record is being produced by Ben Mink, who's worked with k.d. lang, Barenaked Ladies and Heart singer Ann Wilson on her solo album. "Ben is just incredibly talented. He plays fiddle and anything with strings on it. It's sort of like playing with someone we've worked with all our lives," she says. "It's a beautiful match and we're really enjoying the whole process this time. He's someone we've been romancing for quite a while. He's got the sound that we're looking for now, and have been for a long time."

That sound is a return to the band's '70s analog roots. "We've been approaching it on a really human level. There's not a digital construct anywhere," she says. "We are putting up baffles and playing together at the same time: drums, bass and guitars, all at once, in the same room, looking at each other and jiving off each other, so that it's really a conversation in process. It's not painting by colors -- it's a performance, a conversation."

As far as a completion date for the as-yet-untitled album goes, Wilson says the band is pretty close to finishing. "We only have a couple more songs to record. We have 10 songs pretty much ready. It shouldn't take us much longer. I hope to finish it all up and we'll put it out in the spring."